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For my third travelversary, I tallied up all the different beds I’d slept in over the past year – seventy-one various beds, plus four tents. Some of those evenings were spent casually drifting into a blissful and restful slumber. Others were spent tossing, turning, staring daggers at the time blinking back at me from my iPhone, and thinking anxiously of the exhausting day ahead. Over time, however, the latter scenario has become more and more infrequent as I’ve honed my system for being able to sleep anywhere on the road.

So when TYLENOL® PM asked me to tackle this issue so near and dear to my heart, it almost felt like a dream (get it?). Hostel dorms might just present one of the trickiest sleep situations out there, but they are no match for the well-prepared backpacker. Read on for my tried and true sleep tips for drifting off in a dorm.

1. Plan Ahead

Sometimes, I’m in the mood to be social. Other times, I’m in the mood to get to bed early and sleep. I’m never in the mood to be surprised – not when it comes to my hostel. I check reviews on Hostelworld and Tripadvisor to make sure I know what kind of place I’m checking myself into and that I’m not caught off guard by an on-site bar keeping me up until the wee hours. (Some rare magical hostels are the perfect mix of both. On example is Tropicana in Antigua, Guatemala, which has a lively bar that shuts down strictly at 10pm, at which point the hostel is completely silent and sleep-able.)

About 99% of the time, I’m happy to take whatever dorm I’m doled into. Every once in a while, however — if I’m fighting off a cold or am heading off on an arduous trek, for example – I might ask to be put in a smaller, quieter, or emptier dorm, a request I’ve found is usually politely accommodated.

2. Pack a Sleep Kit

I walk into a hostel like soldier prepared for battle against sleeplessness. The two most important weapons in my arsenal? A sleep mask (sequins optional…) and ear plugs. Both can take a little getting used to if you’re not accustomed to them, but the adjustment period will be well worth the restful hours you’ll clock. Keep these essentials as well as any others you might need as part of your bedroom routine – for me that includes chapstick, my contacts case, and my retainer, for example – in a small pouch that you can easily access without having to rummage apart your entire bag. Once you’ve checked in, keep it under your pillow for easy access every night.

3. Power Down

Sleep experts agree – stay off screens for two hours before bed. The light exposure from devices like phones and laptops stimulate the brain and confuses its natural sleep cycle signals. This goes for e-readers like a Kindle as well – a good excuse to hit that paperback swap in the lobby. And while you may have limited options in terms of communal spaces in some hostels, try to keep your bunk a sleep only zone – use your laptop and check your phone elsewhere so your body associates the space only with slumber.

I admit that this is a rule I struggle with and often break. But when I truly need a great night’s sleep, it does make all the difference.

4. Move Your Body

Studies show that exercise in the afternoon can help you sleep at night. You might be out of your regular gym routine on the road, but even forgoing a cab in favor of a long walk while you’re sightseeing can make all the difference that night when you’re about to hit the hay – er, bunk.

Even better? Hit a yoga class, which will have the added benefit of de-stressing you for optimal sleep.

5. Make Friends

Saying hi and introducing yourself to everyone in your dorm isn’t just good manners – it’s smart thinking. Having a face to a name will tend to make your roommates a bit more courteous when coming in late at night or heading out early in the morning. You’re no longer just the anonymous blonde in bunk 12 – you’re the sweet new friend they definitely wouldn’t want to wake by flipping on the lights at 3am!

6. Clean Start

Taking a warm shower might not be an option in all areas of the world (heck, taking a fresh water shower is a luxury in some of my favorite places in Southeast Asia!), but when it is, try hopping in one right before bed. You might not have control over the temperature of your room (there have been nights when I would have named my first born child after any person who could produce a working fan), but you can help lower the temperature of your body – which will aid in a good night’s sleep.

7. Snack Smart

What you eat during the day – especially right before bedtime – has a huge effect on how you sleep. Caffeine any time afternoon and beyond is an obvious no no – the half life of caffeine in the body is about 5-10 hours, so order that last cup of coffee (or Diet Coke, in my case) with caution.

As far as a midnight snack goes, turkey isn’t the only food containing the famed sleep-inducing tryptophan – milk, bananas and oatmeal all serve up healthy doses as well. Keep your snack servings small – digesting a large meal can also keep you up at night.

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Now, we all know exhaustion is no laughing matter. Except when it is. TYLENOL® wants to know — what embarrassing things have you done after a sleepless night? Share with @TYLENOL on Instagram using #IWasSoTired #Sweeps for a chance to win a $1,000 Bed, Bath & Beyond™ Bedroom Makeover! I’ll be sharing one of my own stories on Instagram later this week — stay tuned!

What hostel sleep tips have you found effective?
Spill in the comments below!.

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Alex, I’m always impressed with your ability to work with sponsors (bills don’t pay themselves!) while still feeling genuine.

I’m getting ready to spend some serious time in hostels for the first time in a decade. I will keep these tips (especially the ear plugs!) in mind, so as not to turn into the angry old lady (32 is ancient in hostel-years) telling everyone in the dorm to pipe down. 😉

Thank you so much, Mary! That means a lot. It helps that I turn down anything that I’m not really excited about… and I’m really passionate about sleep, ha. Definitely go for the ear plugs! You might want to try them out at home first if you’re not used to them so that it’s not just one more thing that seems new in an unfamiliar environment. Good luck with your hostel revival! 🙂

I’m studying abroad this summer and hope to do some traveling around Europe outside my program, so I’ll definitely be using some of these tips as I’m sure I’ll end up in a number of hostels with no clue what to do! Thanks Alex 🙂

Um… YES! I’ve had some of the worst sleeps of my life in hostels before I had figured out the whole ear plug thing. They may not be the most comfortable but I will NEVER travel without them again. You can end up with street noise, thin walls, or a snoring partner in even the fanciest hotels. Great tips Alex! I especially like the suggestion of making friends 🙂Whitney recently posted..From Sea to Summit: The Haleakala Volcano

It makes SUCH a difference, though it took me a while to figure it out for myself! Just a short intro goes a long way. Also, who likes sleeping next to strangers? It helps me sleep better knowing who is a few feet away 🙂

Great tips — I would add that a lot of hostels have private rooms that can be booked for a little more than just a bunk bed. If traveling with a friend or a partner – those are almost always worth the extra splurge. Also, I often use my iphone white noise app if there is a noise issue 🙂Jenia recently posted..A Shock to the System: Luang Prabang

Yes, very true! I often go that route these days when the budget allows. I’ve never tried a white noise app, though even in the dead of winter at home I sleep with the fan on mostly for the noise. I should probably check out the app idea, sounds more eco-friendly!

YES. I was reading an article about a married couple that made a no electronics in the bedroom rule… as in they even leave their phones plugged in in the kitchen to charge overnight. They said it revolutionized their sleep and their marriage! I would be kind of interested in trying that though it would basically be the equivalent of deciding to do an iron man, self challenge-wise.

I actually traveled with a little travel pillow in South America (not a blow up one, an actual little feather pillow) and it MADE MY LIFE AMAZING! I don’t know what I was thinking not bringing it this time. Major face palm.

Thanks for this helpful post! I’m a light sleeper and have slept with ear plugs since my college dorm days. Usually I can fall asleep anywhere, but in Prague I had a bunk mate who smelled horrible. Does anyone have any tips for dealing with stinky roommates? This can (sadly and grossly) ruin a good night’s sleep as well.

Actually, I did a bit of research about that for this post! Drinking alcohol can help you FALL asleep but it actually disrupts your sleep cycle, which if why you’ll often wake up feeling more tired than rested. Hence, it’s not the best strategy for long term 🙂

Last summer when I volunteered in South Africa, we stayed in a hostel. I luckily was in a room of 6 girls, but two of the girls I befriended on the trip were in a male/female dorm room made up of 12 people. Half of the people in that room went to bed fairly early, and the other half would drunkenly stagger in around 2 or 3 am and flip on the lights. These are all such good tips, though I have never mastered the art of keeping a sleep mask on my face for the entire night!

Oh man, hostels are my jam! 8-bed rooms are seriously my favorite, preferably in a mixed dorm. Boys are SO much quieter than girls! And in my experience, more likely to shush the snorers! I usually am willing to pay a bit more for a higher rated hostel and that usually keeps the bad eggs at bay.

Haha, good post! Thankfully I’ve gotten used to dorms so I dont’t have too much trouble sleeping, except when surrounded by heavy dormers (or, you know, people having loud sex…)! In Asia, another strategy is to choose a pod/capsule hostel where possible, as they give you more privacy and insulation from noise and light. 🙂Camille recently posted..What To Do in Yangon, Myanmar: 8 Things Not To Miss

These are great tips. I personally don’t find it hard to fall asleep in hostels… but I am the guy who’d probably keep everyone else from sleeping. I snore… But I always carry my anti snoring mouthpiece. The world would be a better place if everyone snorer got one of these…Patrick recently posted..Zyppah Reviews: The Most Revolutionary Snoring Mouthpiece Ever

I work shift work so I usually sleep with a white noise machine to mask the noise during the day when I’m trying to sleep during the day. I can’t sleep without it anymore.

When I was in Australia, I had this headband with ear buds in it that I would hook up to my iPod with white noise and sleep with that and my eye mask. I’m normally a light sleeper but was able to sleep through people arguing in the room. I’m actually looking to get some wireless headphones for my round the world trip next year.

I'm a New York native who left my home to explore the world slowly and thoroughly. I’m just a little obsessed with photography, scuba diving, and reading guidebooks to countries I have no immediate plans to visit.